


Wishing-Flowers

by Anorien



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, young!Frodo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-04-01 16:20:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4026655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anorien/pseuds/Anorien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Frodo Baggins and his mother go to visit Bilbo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wishing-Flowers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bronweathanharthad](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bronweathanharthad/gifts).



It was a warm, sunny day in the Shire. Bilbo Baggins sat contentedly on a bench outside the Floating Log Inn, smoking his pipe. He closed his eyes and sighed happily, listening to the birds and the croaking of frogs in a nearby pond. He hummed quietly, feeling that all was right with the world.

The old Hobbit was roused from his musings by the clatter of hooves on the cobblestone road. He turned his head East and beamed. A small carriage pulled up in front of the Inn, and another Hobbit and her young son climbed out. Bilbo stood, striding over to the driver to help with the luggage.

"My dear Primula!" he cried, hugging his cousin-in-law and kissing her cheek.

"Welcome to Frogmorton! How was the trip?"

"Fine, Bilbo, thank you," Primula replied, putting on a sunhat. "Are we to be walking back to the Hill?"

"Of course!" Bilbo said, taking two bags from the back of the carriage. "It's a beautiful day, not a rain cloud in sight."

"I'm only worried that Frodo-" 

"Ah, get the boy some fresh air and exercise, it's good for him! Why, look at all the good it's done me! Where is the little rapscallion anyway?" 

Young Frodo, barely six years old, could not be bothered with greetings. Instead, he busied himself on the ground, jumping after frogs. " _Gribbit! Gribbit!_ " he mumbled, hopping off toward the swamp. A look of horror came over Primula's fair face. 

"Frodo, get up this _instant!_ " she shrieked. "You're going to get mud all over your new clothes!" Frodo returned to the carriage, hands clasped together, smiling with glee. He ran up to the older Hobbit. 

"Look, Uncle Bilbo!" he exclaimed, "I caught one!" He opened his hands proudly, showing off the small green creature. Primula began a rant on how frogs were filthy and the youngster would get warts, and Bilbo let out a hearty laugh.

"That's a lad! A true Baggins!" Bilbo said. "Excellent catch, my dear boy. Best to put him back now, Frodo, you don't want to frighten your poor mother any more. He's got his hole to go back to as well, you know!" Frodo set the frog down as Primula paid the driver. Bags in hand, she followed Frodo, who was skipping happily by his uncle's side.

  
"I think a good travelling-song is in order, don't you?" Bilbo asked.

  
"Yeah, yeah!" his nephew squeaked.

  
"Very well then. Here's one the Elves sang when I first entered the Valley of Imladris:

 

_O! What are you doing,_

_And where are you going?_

_Your ponies need shoeing!_

_The river is flowing!_

_O! tra-la-la-lally_

_here down in the valley!"_

 

***

  
Primula, much to her son's disdain, preferred to travel at a leisurely pace. But Frodo, being young and, of course, a Baggins, was antsy and would often rush a few yards ahead. Bilbo walked beside Primula, smiling to himself at the child's enthusiasm. He had no children of his own, but found himself around young Hobbits often enough. He knew well how to appease the boy.

  
"Frodo!" he called when he thought the child had scurried too far ahead. His nephew skipped up to him, an inquisitive look in his eye.

  
"Yes, Uncle Bilbo?"

  
"I have heard," the old Hobbit began, thinking, "that if you are in the wood on a bright, sunny day, and you pick three purple flowers after the honeybees have left them, you can make a wish, and the Elves of the East will come to grant it. Oh, confound it!" he said. "I've forgotten - it only works in the month of May."

  
"Bilbo, it's May now," Primula said, wondering if the old Hobbit was finally beginning to lost his memory.

  
"Is it indeed?" Bilbo asked, feigning surprise. On their right, he saw a Hobbit tending to his garden. "You there! What date is it today, do you know?"

  
"Why, it's May the 28th, sir," the stranger answered. Frodo's eyes lit up. Bilbo thanked the gardener and looked to his nephew.

  
"Best go and find those flowers then!" he said. Frodo was off swifter than a loosed arrow, searching the meadows for honeybees. Bilbo chuckled softly.

  
"You shouldn't do that," Primula said quietly, "filling his head with stories of Elves and all that."

  
"He's a _Baggins_ ," Bilbo sighed. "And he's got Took in him, from your mother's side!"

  
"I _know_ what he is, Bilbo," she said, pursing her lips.

  
"Then you should know all too well that there is and adventurous streak a mile wide in that boy."

  
"Forgive me if I do not want my son getting the idea to go and fight dragons a world away."

  
"Pah! There are no dragons left, Primula. Let the lad have his fun - there's nothing wrong with Elves, you know. Lovely folk, if you stay on their good side. D'you know that the great Elvenking Thranduil named me 'Elf-friend'?"

  
"That's all very well for _you_ , Bilbo, but I do not want him disappointed when he has seen no Elves."

  
"What do you mean? Elves pass through the Shire all the time."

  
Primula could only sigh.

 

***

 

  
They were within three miles of Bag End when Frodo had plucked the last flower.

  
"Uncle Bilbo! Uncle Bilbo!" he cried, racing up to the old Hobbit. "I've found all the flowers!" Bilbo raised his eyebrows and set down the bags.

  
"We'd best inspect them, then," he said, kneeling down. He observed the blooms carefully. "Hm, yes, all purple, there are one... two... three, yes, excellent, and oh!" He gathered some pollen on his fingertip.

  
"What's that?" Frodo inquired.

  
"That, my lad, is Wishing-Dust!" his uncle explained. "This is why you needed to wait for the bees - they leave this behind."

  
"Can I make my wish now?" the child asked.

 

"Yes, these are the perfect Wishing-Flowers," Bilbo said, standing. "Go on then."

  
Frodo beamed. He clutched the flowers to his chest and squeezed his eyes shut.

  
"I wish I could go on and adventure, just like my Uncle Bilbo."

  
Primula sighed. "Wolves and spider forests and goodness knows what else," she said, barely audible. "Dragons..."

  
"Again, if it's any consolation, dear Primula," Bilbo muttered back to her, "Smaug was the last of the Great Dragons."

  
"What do I do now?" Frodo interrupted. "Where are the Elves?"

  
"Ah, Frodo, my boy," his uncle said. "A good adventure can take planning - you must give the Elves some time. Here, you'll need to put those flowers somewhere they'll find them, then they can hear the wish. Right on that boulder there, that should do it." Frodo places a small kiss on a violet petal and laid the tiny bouquet down. Bilbo took out a small piece of parchment when the boy's back was turned and scribbled something onto it, laying it beside the flowers.

  
"Do you think my wish will come true, Mama?" Frodo asked Primula. She smiled gently.

  
"We'll just have to see," she said.

  
"Alright, Bagginses and Brandybucks!" Bilbo cried, picking up the bags again. "Less than a half a league left, then we can warm our wooly toes by the fire and have a nice hot dinner!"

 

***

 

That night, Frodo went to bed early. Though he spent half of supper yawning, he was far too excited about the day's events to sleep. Bilbo sat on the edge of the bed as his nephew drank some warm milk.

  
"What are Elves like, Uncle Bilbo?" asked the child.

  
"They're a wonderful people, Frodo," the old Hobbit began. "They are the People of the Stars. They love nature, as we do, and often live in forests. They are kind and wise, and they live forever. Most of them are very old, some beyond counting. They can be deadly in war, but they are good folk. Always they seek to keep the forces of evil at bay. They are a very powerful and gifted race..."

  
As Bilbo spoke, Frodo began to nod off at last. His dreams were filled with visions of far-away lands, golden forests and valleys full of light and song. He could almost see a young prince, golden-haired, running beside him as they journeyed East.

 

  
  
Elsewhere in the Shire, a Wood-Elf maiden and her companion walked abreast in the moonlight. As they passed through the forest, something white peered out of the corner of the woman's eye. She paused for a moment, then went to inspect.

  
"What is it?" the man asked.

  
"It appears to be a letter and some flowers, Gildor," she replied. He picked up the note.

  
" _'Bilbo Baggins, Elf-friend'_ ," Gildor read. Glancing over the note, written in their native language, a smile spread across his fair face.

  
"I recognize the name. What does it say?"

  
"It appears there is a young halfling looking to go on an adventure."

**Author's Note:**

> First off, I would like to dedicate this fic to my dear friend Laura - Happy birthday!!!
> 
> I haven't written much about Bilbo or Frodo, but I'm very happy with how this turned out. And what better way to brighten up your day than little Frodo?
> 
> \- The Floating Log is the pub in Frogmorton in Lord of the Rings Online, but I'm unsure if such a place exists in canon. However, Frogmorton is in the middle between Hobbiton and Buckland, where Frodo lived with his parents. It seemed a good meeting place.  
> \- Primula is not a mean mother. She's simply a mother hen. She was raised very prim and proper and hopes to raise Frodo the same. Of course, there's that darn Baggins and Took streak. She also doesn't want her son eaten by a dragon. Reasonable enough, I think.  
> \- Yes, I used THAT song. Though it seems Hobbit-y, and I hardly think a six year old Frodo would care much about Elbereth.  
> \- The date of their travel was made simply to coincide with Laura's birthday. :3  
> \- In my original draft (five pages of writing), Gildor was simply a random Elf man. I thought to include him, seeing as he's the first Elf Frodo meets when he sets out on his adventure, and is a known traveller. It seems likely he would show up at random times in the Shire. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this fic! I hit a roadblock for a couple months, but I'm working on a slew of new fics, including an update to Envisioned. (I am also open for prompts :D ) Stay tuned!


End file.
